America has lost its checks and balances

Donald Trump is a bombastic, boorish, bully, a narcissist and habitual liar who seems to lack any sense of empathy and humanity. His attacks on a free press and the independence of the judicial system combined with his claims of unbridled presidential power, show his contempt for the First Amendment, the separation of powers and the rule of law.

A majority of Republicans continue to give cover to President Trump when he repeatedly demonstrates his unfitness — and ineptitude. When Trump referred to Haiti, El Salvador, and African countries as “s***hole” nations, Sens. Tom Cotton and David Perdue tried to whitewash Trump’s vile — and seemingly racist — remarks. Sad.

However, the politician who has done the most damage to the Constitution is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. McConnell stole moderate, and well-qualified, Obama Supreme Court nominee Judge Merrick Garland’s spot on the bench — a spot that is now filled by a very young and very conservative Judge Neil Gorsuch. President Obama had nominated 81 qualified people to fill vacancies in the federal judiciary, but McConnell’s Senate confirmed only 22. These federal judges get appointed for life. Conservative judges will dominate our federal judiciary long after Trump is just a bad memory.

With McConnell’s theft of the federal judiciary, House gerrymandering, Senate under-representation of Democratic voters living in populous states, Republicans control all three branches of the federal government — negating the intended separation of powers and failing to provide the Constitution’s intended checks and balances.

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